Nightly News   |  August 24, 2011

Rebels have taken Tripoli, but not secured it

As fighting continues near Col. Moammar Gadhafi's compound, Libya's long-time leader is in now hiding. But so far no leadership has emerged to take his place. NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports.

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>>> overseas now to libya and shockwaves of another sort. the rebels as we have been reporting have control of tripoli , but gadhafi from somewhere in hiding is vowing to fight to the death. we have a team on the ground in libya tonight, chief foreign corporate richard engel and stephanie gosk who got there late this afternoon. we'll begin with richard.

>> reporter: libyans are now oftening a reward for gadhafi , nearly $2 million for him dead or alive , in addition to amnesty for anyone who turns him in. as fighting continues near gadhafi 's compound, libya 's long-time leader himself is now in hiding. in a radio address, his first statement since he was forced from power, gadhafi calls on his remaining supporters to rise up. go cleanse all of tripoli , go out and clear it of all the rats, he said. the tables have turned dramatically on gadhafi . now he's the rebel on the run trying to foment resistance. the rebels have taken tripoli , but not secured it. today they set up check points. and fired on suspected gadhafi loyalists. but the rebels have no central command and their political leadership 100 dreais10is hundreds of mi les to the east. the rebels fire in the air, but also accidentally at each other, into buildings and cars. in green square today, rebels fired to celebrate without aiming, they spun powerful anti-aircraft guns like rides in amusement parks , all of it next to children who came to join them. it certainly is not safe, but tripoli is also not baghdad after the fall of saddam hussein . few crimes have been reporteded. libya has a great deal to gain from stability, if it can only achieve it. a wealth of oil, more than 1,000 miles of pristine, mediterranean coastline. and a population of only 6 million. after 42 years, gadhafi is a fugitive, unlikely to return to power, but so far, no leadership has emerged to take his place. richard engel , nbc news, tripoli .